3. Linking Population and the Environment

There is little doubt that population factors do have an impact
on resources and the environment. But more research is needed on the complicated
links between various population factors - population base and growth rates,
distribution patterns, migration, urbanization, etc. - and their impacts on
critical natural resources such as forests, soils, freshwater, wildlife, and
fish stocks, among others.

Still, a number of trends are worth noting:

- The World Conservation Union (IUCN) has declared
human population growth the number one cause of species extinctions. According
to IUCN, the 10 nations with the worst habitat destruction house an average of
189 people per square km., while the 10 with the most original habitat left
intact have only 29 people per square km.

- As a direct result of population growth, especially in
developing countries, the average amount of cropland per person is projected to
decline from 0.28 hectares in 1990 to 0.17 hectares by 2025 (source: Atlas of
the Environment, 1992).

- UNFPA's The State of World Population reported in 1992 that
when both agricultural and nonagricultural needs are taken into account,
population growth may be responsible for as much as 80 per cent of the loss of
forest cover worldwide. As a result of deforestation in many poor developing
countries, particularly in Africa, women are compelled to walk further and
further to collect fuel-wood and fodder, reducing the time they have for more
productive work (such as raising vegetables or livestock and caring for their
children). In addition, the health impact of limited fuelwood supplies
translates directly into poor diets and chronic ill health in many villages.

- Given future population growth projections, it has been
calculated that agricultural production per person will drop significantly, from
the current level of 340 kg per person per year to well under 300 kg per person
per year within three to four decades.

- According to the Australian Institute of Marine Science,
population growth and over-exploitation of coastal zones are responsible for the
outright destruction of 10 per cent of the world's 600,000 square kilometers of
coral reefs, the underwater equivalent of tropical rainforests. A further 30 per
cent are imperiled and will be lost in 10-20 years, if nothing is done to save
them.

- According to a study by Population Action International, in
1990, 20 countries suffered water scarcity, having less than 1000 cubic meters
of water per person. Another 8 experienced occasional water stress. These 28
nations represent 335 million people. By 2025, some 48 nations, involving 3
billion people, are expected to suffer water
shortages.